Thanks to EYR

We interview a former EYR student Holly Hubble, who reflects on her time working on the project and where it has led her today.

“I studied the Extended Diploma in Creative Media Level 3 at Sussex Downs; my previous school was Claverham Community College in Battle. EYR was one of my main projects in my final year and I am pleased to report that I finished with straight distinctions throughout every unit completing the course with triple distinction star.

Eastbourne Youth Radio was the first experience of having the chance to work with 'real' clients and having a chance to work on a live broadcast with a public audience. During my time working on EYR I produced several shows and one was for primary school St Bedes. They had many great ideas including several interviews.

One of the highs was meeting Question Time presenter David Dimbleby. I attended the interview with the St Bedes students and their teacher to record the interview, which I then edited for their show.

Wanting a career in television I took this opportunity to talk to David about any possible work experience on Question Time, he gave me his email and I secured work experience on the edition, which was recorded in Tunbridge Wells in February this year.

I ended up with a great deal of responsibility on the show by signing in the audience and providing hospitality for the panellists. I have been invited back when they are broadcasting in my local area again.

I also presented several shows on EYR 2011, one of which being 'Meet the Media'. This is a show actually quite like Question Time, with four panellists from the media and a live audience who were asking questions.

It was my job to take the questions from the audience and direct them to the panellists. One of the panellists was BBC South East reporter John Young. After the show, I asked him about the possibility of undertaking some work experience.

John was very impressed and invited me along to BBC South East on the evening of Friday 18th November 2011 - which was the Friday EYR finished and also Children in Need night.

I had been in college since 5am to do the breakfast show Thursday morning interviewed John Thursday afternoon, then stayed in college over night to do my overnight show Thursday evening then ran the St Bedes show Friday morning before going straight to BBC South East for Friday evening. It was an amazing week.

I have subsequently been invited back to BBC South East for a full days work experience with John. I received training in script writing, editing and I helped out on a live location broadcast, as well as a studio broadcast. The team even let me have a go at reading the news off auto cue and recorded it for me. It was a fantastic experience!

I have also worked for Heart FM as a Heart Angle since February. I have been intensely updating my CV over the summer with the help from Saffron at the college and John and I secured a placement with Yalli Productions (owned by Shed Media) in London for a week at the beginning of September.

My CV was also sent to Shed Media’s Brighton Office where I have now secured a full time position as the Head of Productions Assistant for Ricochet Productions - which I started recently. So in the space of three months since leaving college I've secured a full time position at a well known TV production company. However, it was EYR which exposed me to the industry professionals, which allowed me to start creating my network of contacts which has been essential to securing work experience and indeed my job at Ricochet.

My long term ambition is to work on live entertainment television in the production team. Working for a company as big as Shed Media, but, it all started with Eastbourne Youth Radio, thank you EYR.”